Val Picinich (1896)
Buck Leonard (1907)
Jim Bagby (1916)
Steve Hargan (1942)
Ken Forsch (1946)
Don Aase (1954)
Mike Dyer (1966)
Gil Meche (1978)
Rob Delaney (1984)
Happy Birthday as well to Rhubarb_Runner’s father.
Right-hander Michael Lawrence Dyer appeared in sixteen games for the Twins in 1989. He was born in Upland, California, attended Citrus College in Glendora, California, and was drafted in the fourth round by the Twins in the 1986 draft. He did very well in his first two years in the minors, winning 16 games with Class A Kenosha in 1987, but his ERA crept up at higher levels. It was over four for the first time with AAA Portland in 1989, but he came up to the Twins in late June and stayed the rest of the season as the fifth starter. He pitched in 16 games with the Twins that year, 12 of them starts. Dyer was 4-7 with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP in 71 innings for the Twins that season. He was apparently injured after that, as he pitched only 2.1 minor league innings in 1990 and did not pitch at all in 1991. He was back in 1992, but did not pitch well in Portland and became a six-year free agent after the season. Dyer then began bouncing around the minors, pitching in the Indians and Cubs organizations in 1993 and the Pirates organization in 1994. Surprisingly, he did well as the closer at AAA Buffalo, and was called up to the Pirates that season. He then spent two full seasons in the big leagues, pitching for the Pirates in 1995 and the Expos in 1996 and doing reasonably well in both spots. Dyer signed with the Rockies in the 1996-97 off season, but did not make the team. He then signed with the Braves and was in AAA Richmond for 1997. He also pitched briefly in independent ball in 2000, then his playing career ended for good. No further information about Mike Dyer was readily available.
Right-handed reliever Robert James Delaney made one appearance for the Twins in 2010. He was born in Westwood, New Jersey, attended St. John's, and was signed by Minnesota as a free agent in 2006. A reliever all the way, Delaney has never started a game in either the majors or the minors. He struggled his first year, then put together consecutive awesome years in the low minors. He went 3-0, 1.03 with 35 saves with a 0.86 WHIP in a 2007 split between Beloit and Ft. Myers, and followed that by going 3-3, 1.23 with 18 saves and a WHIP of 0.83 in a 2008 split between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He was not been as good in a year and a half in Rochester, going 14-12, 4.65 with 11 saves and a WHIP of 1.28 in 127.2 AAA innings spread over 97 games. He was with the Twins briefly in 2010 and appeared in one game, allowing a home run to the first batter he faced and allowing one more hit plus a walk, but no more runs in one inning of work. He was placed on waivers after the season and selected by Tampa Bay. He has had an outstanding season for AAA Durham, but at this writing has turned that into only four more big league appearances, pitching well in two of them. He turns 27 today. There is still time for him to have a significant major league career, but if he’s going to do so he needs to get started very soon.